Hope & Despair- Full Circle

by Alan Wild

  “I reviewed Oliver’s video footage. I found that the perp has been on Oliver’s property on several occasions. The first time, the guy walked through the side gate to the back yard. He hasn’t done anything other than look around. We think that he is trying to figure out Oliver’s security system. This guy is dangerous. Until last night, he did nothing but look around. Last night he made his move, and he threw a brick through the kitchen window, and yes, that too had a note. Oliver also has pictures of the evidence. We discovered this morning that the brick is one of the weapons the perp had attacked the victims with. We think that he hit them over the head then began to cut them up after he killed all of them. We found some of Noah’s possessions in boxes by the garage door. It looked like the group was there to loot, but something went wrong. We are still trying to figure out if the perp was part of the group that drove into the garage together or if they are not connected at all. We have a lead on one of the victims. All of the victims have been arrested at one point or another. One victim was married, and her husband was picked up and taken to the hospital on an overdose. He was administered Naloxone and survived. As soon as we leave here, we are going to deliver the news of his wife’s murder and question him to see if he has any knowledge of the people she was hanging around with.” He said, “That is it for me, Ray; it is all yours.”

  Ray spoke up and said, “Guys, this was a brutal crime. There is a particular reason that the perp has targeted Noah. Until two days ago, Noah and Oliver didn’t even know each other. Our profilers have determined that whoever is doing this has an ax to grind with Noah. We have no reason to suspect that Noah or Oliver had anything to do with this, yet we looked at all of Noah’s clients and relatives and are coming up empty-handed. Noah has two sisters and a mother who all live in Florida. He does have Aunts, uncles, and cousins on both sides of his family. None of the family lives in the metro area. The members of the family that do live in Colorado were all accounted for to our knowledge. We believe that the perp was watching Noah when he returned from Florida. That is how he had to tie Oliver into his web. That is all that we have to share. I do want to give you all a friendly warning. As Ollie said, I too want to develop a working relationship with you all. So, I would like you to share your developments with Detective Slone or me. We will give out our cards before we leave.”

  Oliver told everyone that he supported Ray’s request and wanted to make it a priority for the team to work with DPD. “We need to establish a reputation that we play well with others.” Oliver had a sinking feeling there was more going on with Ray. He just spent a lot of effort pointing the finger at Noah. It felt like he wanted to place the blame on him. Sergeant Matthews and Detective Slone stood and passed out their cards to everyone. Sergeant Matthews told everyone that it was great to meet them, and he asked to have a word with Oliver. They walked into the living room away from the rest of the group. Noah could see Oliver shake his head, then Oliver hugged Ray, and they both looked at Noah. He didn’t want anyone to know that he was watching, so he looked away, but his eyes landed on the person who looked like she could be dangerous. She met his eyes and smiled. Noah’s eyes fell to the table. The next thing he knew, she came and sat next to him, taking the seat where Oliver sat.

  She spoke first. “I know we met before, but I am Willa. It is so good to meet the man who captured our Oli’s heart. I don’t know how you did it but let me tell you; it is a miracle.” Then she grabbed his hand, and she said, “We have a lot in common from what I’m told, and when I start to talk, honey, you are the only one who will understand what I am saying. I talk to these fools about networking, and they think it is some damn social gathering.” Noah laughed at her joke. She seemed fun, and she was exploding with character and personality. She has the most beautiful smooth dark brown skin that he had ever seen. She was on the large side, but he knew it was rude of him to think that. She carried herself well and seemed like she could take on anyone at this table.

  Willa asked him if he would mind letting her go through his computer when he gets it back. She told him that she had something particular she was looking for but wanted to hold off on sharing. Now Willa had his full attention. Noah did not know what she had in mind, but he wanted to find out. “Do you need my computer or just access to my email? I can’t imagine that there is any reason you need my computer because I have had it in my possession for as long as I recall.” Willa gave him a suspicious look, and he had to backpedal quickly. “I don’t mind sharing my computer. I will hand it over when I get it back from Denver Police. I am curious as to what you are looking for; I can sign into my email from any computer.” Willa smiled at him and let out a thunderous belly laugh. She said, “Gurl, you had me goin’ there. You about to give a sister a stroke.” Willa let what Noah said sink in. She sat there for a moment and asked: “Since the police have your computer, do you mind signing into your email on my laptop.”

  He agreed to allow her access. She ran over to her bag and pulled out a computer, and she fired it up. As it was starting, Oliver came back to the table, and he had a playful look on his face, and he said, “Willa, are you trying to steal my man from me? I’m going to get jealous.” Willa winked at Noah, and then she wrapped him in a big full-body hug. She told Oliver, “Honey, he is all mine. Plus, it didn’t take much for him to swing to my side. I just had to talk to him about code and internet protocol.” Oliver said, “Are we going to have to take this outside?” Willa let him go from her hug, and she blew a kiss to Oliver and said, “Simmer down, kitty girl, I can share.” Oliver said, “He likes me more, though.” Willa spat back, “You know what they say is true. The darker the berry, the sweeter the juice.” Oliver had a look that said he is not playing anymore. He told Willa, the juice may be sweet, but Noah likes coffee, not juice. Plus, he prefers bananas over berries. Now please let me have my chair back, I’m having Noah withdrawals.” Willa raised her arms in defeat and said, “Fine, you win qween! Noah, I will get with you before I leave, if I choose to leave,” And with a smile to Oliver, she returned to her seat across the table.

  Oliver made a surprising move, and he scooted his chair closer and placed his arm around his shoulders. The move felt comforting to Noah, and he unconsciously leaned into Oliver.

  Oliver spoke to the group again, and he said that he has a slightly pressing issue. “I need a personal assistant. I need someone who I can trust; we can trust. They will need to take care of my personal and business issues like replacing that fucking window in the kitchen, and they will need to take care of my schedule. Do you know guys? A personal assistant”! Dario spoke up and said, “I got your guy. When I came to Denver, I was staying at that fancy-retro cool hotel downtown. The head concierge caught my eye, and we dated for a minute. He is way too organized for me. I prefer my men a little messy. His name is Owen.” Oliver asked what it was going to take to get him to leave his job and come to work with them. Dario started to blush and said, “See, boss, here is the thing. I kind of got him fired. Owen went to the back office to get me some flyers on local attractions. I followed him and attacked him with my love. I was kissing him and grabbing his ass. He was as excited as I was. That was until the Hotel Manager walked in on us. The manager waited until I left, then he fired Owen. We have sexual chemistry, but we are better friends than lovers.” Oliver smiled and told Dario to Call Owen and set up the interview for today. “Dario, tell him if all goes well, we would like him to start immediately.”

  Oliver told the group that he wanted everyone to take this case seriously. He said, “This is the real deal guys, I don’t want this to come out as a threat, but if we fail, you will be out of a job before we even have a chance to be successful.” Dario asked, “What do you mean unemployed?” Ajay kicked Dario under the table and told him to shut up. Oliver said, “Boys, no fighting. Dario, if we fail, I will be dead as in 6 feet under.” Dario understood once it was spelled out for him. Dario said, “Oh, Fuck! Okay. Ajay spoke up and told everyone that failure was not an option.


  Ajay took over the meeting, and Oliver pulled Noah out of the room. He asked, “How are you doing?” Noah told him, “Surprisingly, I'm okay. I am so sorry that I got you involved in this mess. It tears me up that your life is at risk because of me.” Oliver grabbed his face and said, “Hey, Noah, if you remember, I came to you. I have been going crazy trying to meet the hot neighbor across the street for the last two years. I got myself involved.” Oliver didn’t wait for Noah to respond. He quickly gave Noah a kiss that was passionate and soft at the same time. Oliver told him, “I have wanted to kiss you all morning. I had my first taste of you, and now there is no going back.” Oliver went back in for another kiss, and this time Noah explored Oliver's mouth with passion and desire burning hot.

  Both men were moaning and holding each other tight.

  Oliver pulled away from Noah and told him, “We need to stop; if we continue, I won’t be able to control myself. Oliver asked Noah if he would mind spending time with each person on the team so that they could ask him questions. Noah agreed and asked if he was going to be there. He said, “I will be there until we interview Owen. I would like you to meet Owen and let me know what you think of him.” Noah agreed, Noah would agree to anything Oliver wanted at this point.

  They rejoined the group. Willa raised her voice and told everyone that she needed Noah first. Willa pushed her computer over to him and asked him to enter his credentials. Noah explained that he had several email addresses. He asked if she minded if he just typed out his login and password information. Willa said, “Sure, hun, that works too.” Willa then asked for more details. She asked for his mother’s name and date of birth, his father’s name and date of birth, grandparents’ information on both sides of his family. Noah thought it was weird, but he would do whatever was asked of him because he couldn’t let Oliver get hurt.

  Ajay spoke to the group; he was commanding and well-spoken, “Team, I want you all to work together. I want this to be a conversation, not an interrogation. Please remember that Noah is not a suspect. He is the victim, and we need to be respectful that his life is in turmoil.

  Ajay started asking a question but was interrupted by his phone. Everyone’s phone at the table began chiming or vibrating. Then Willa spoke directly to him. She said, “Noah, honey, this is going to be uncomfortable for you. There is sensitive information that I will be sharing with the team here at the table. I will let you decide if you want the information that I discover.” Noah told Willa, “I want to hear it all; I need to know what is going on.”

  Ajay asked Noah, “So what happened to make your family move from Colorado?” Noah said, “My mom was not doing well, and the cost of living here in Denver was higher than her budget had available.” Ajay said,” your mom is pretty young, she is only 59 years old, so why does she need assisted living?” He wasn’t sure what he should say, then he decided just to be honest and tell the truth. These people were going to know everything about him anyway. Noah told Ajay, “My mom and dad were both heavy drinkers and smokers. My dad died before I even graduated from High School, and after that, my mom sank into a deep depression. She kept drinking more every day. I am sure that there are other underlying health issues, but she suffered several strokes. She didn’t even know that a few of the strokes happened because she was drunk. She finally had a heart attack a few months ago, she fell and broke her hip. My sisters tried to take care of her, but they each have their own life, so they called me. I helped find my mom find an assisted living home. My sisters wanted me to stay and take care of my mom. I spent so many years taking care of my grandmother, and I didn’t want to do that with my mom. It was too draining to see her like that. I couldn’t sit back and watch her drink anymore. When she was drunk, all her demons came out, and no secret was safe. She would disclose some of the worst things that have happened to her. I just couldn’t do it.”

  Ajay looked over at Darian and asked him if he could review the documents on his laptop. Darian asked, “Why are you the only person to inherit your grandmother’s estate? “Noah said,” I was the only person that got along with my grandmother. Well, I wouldn’t say get along; I would call it tolerated and kept my mouth shut. I didn’t even know she had anything of value. Everyone thought she rented her house. She left her husband, who was very well off. Before they were divorced, he died, and she automatically got everything he had even though they were separated. That money passed on to me.”

  Ajay asked Willa to see what she could find on both his grandmother and the husband that died. The lead investigator said with an uncomfortable grin; we just have to follow the money trail. Willa agreed, and she said, “Oh trust me, sweetie, I have more information on the way.” Willa then turned to Summer and asked if she could see her after the meeting. Summer was absolutely stunning. She had the brightest red hair that was in a French braid today. Her skin was fair, and she had light freckles on her face. She was poised, prim, and proper with the ability to be an assassin. Summer asked, “Was anyone jealous that you were the sole heir of her estate?” Noah said, “Well, no one knows. I didn’t share the information. After my grandmother passed, I was the only person who cleaned out her house. That is when I found the last will in testament. No one asked me about her stuff. They didn’t even care to help me clean her house. They would only know if I told them, and I didn’t tell anyone.” Willa added, “They would know if they looked hard enough. I found the will with minimal effort. You just have to know where to look.”

  Darian asked, “Before leaving for Florida, has anyone approached you or come knocking on your door?” Noah told Darian, “I had someone ask me out when I was at the gym, but that was over six months ago. I don’t leave the house unless I have to. I don’t answer my door, either.”

  Ajay asked if he had anyone cross with him, anyone at all that can hold a grudge. “No, I keep to myself. I work from home, and I don’t go out of my way to upset people. I actively avoid people. Up until a few days ago, I didn’t know any of my neighbors.”

  Oliver walked in and was heading to the kitchen, and Dario stopped him and placed his hand on Oliver’s chest. Dario asked Noah, “How did you avoid meeting this hot slab of man meat? I would have been going out of my way to meet the stud.” Noah blushed, and he wasn’t sure if that was a question that required an answer or not. Oliver said, “I wanted to meet Noah.” He started to blush, and he let out a chuckle. “The first time I saw Noah, I knew I had to get to know him, so I moved my security camera to point at his house that way if he took his trash out, then I could conveniently take mine out as well. I wasn’t a good stalker and forgot to watch the feeds.” Everyone laughed at Oliver’s admission. This was news to Noah, and he thought to himself, “If I’d known that, I would have gone outside more often.”

  The guy named Darian told Dario, “Dario, only you would do that because you are a man hoe. Noah obviously has class.” Darian was shorter than Dario, who is 6”3” and very thick everywhere. He was a big man with stylish Jet-black hair that stood up where he put it.

  Dario is strikingly beautiful, charming, and had a very welcoming attitude. He was friendly, and everyone seemed to gravitate to him naturally. Darian seemed to like Dario. He seemed to light up when he looked at him. Noah must have lost himself in his thoughts. He didn’t even see or hear anyone come to sit next to him. It was Ajay. The man had beautiful big eyes; His lips were full and plump, his hair, blond and styled impeccably. When you put all of his features together, his appearance became average. Ajay leaned over to Noah and said, “Don’t mind them; they are sleeping together but think that they are smart enough to hide it from a room full of private investigators.”

  Noah smiled a little, and Ajay asked him, “So did you see the guy with the box? Can you describe him?” Noah told him, “I have never seen the guy before yesterday, but I did see him after. I took a shower. Standing there, dripping wet, I was admiring Oliver’s closet of clothes. He has everything folded perfectly. He has stacks of the same shirts, just in different colors. While drying o
ff, I caught movement from the corner of my eye. When I looked, the guy was standing by the tree in the backyard. But he moved so fast; I don’t know where he went.”

  Ajay asked, “Do you need to go anywhere or need anything? If you do, let me know. It is important to keep you safe. Noah thanked him for the offer. “I am going to stay where I am.”

  Oliver walked back out of the kitchen, and he had two bottles of water in his hands. Noah stood up to excuse himself, needing to go to the bathroom after sitting for so long. As the man walked away, Willa asked in her loud voice, “Noah, who is Salvatore Petrelli.” He immediately felt the blood drain from his face, panicking, he hadn't said or thought of that man’s name because then he would be real and not just a memory or a ghost in his nightmares. Oliver immediately joined him and grabbed his hand. He seemed to be able to read him, to know him. Oliver said, “We are taking a break, guys.”

  He pulled Noah into the front living room and embraced him in a comfortable hug. “Hey, talk to me. What is going on?” He couldn’t hold back, the tears that were building up had broken free. Oliver just held him and didn’t say another word. Noah pulled away and apologized. Oliver said,” Noah, this is a lot to deal with. I know it is uncomfortable to answer the questions and have your life spread out on a table in front of you.” Blowing out a frustrated breath, embarrassed for crying again, Noah agreed and explained, “That name, I haven’t said that name in a very long time. I didn’t even think about him. He still shows up in my dreams, and he is still the evil person terrorizing me.”

  Oliver asked, “Is that the man who hurt you? Is that your grandmother's husband?”

  Noah nodded, and I apologized again. “I have been crying like crazy, more than I have in my entire life.” Oliver rubbed his back and said, “I am glad that you trust me to be vulnerable. I am happy that I could be there for you. You are safe with me. “Noah thanked him again, then excused himself to go to the bathroom. He went into the bathroom that was by the kitchen, and while closing the door, he heard Oliver tell Willa that Salvatore Petrelli was Noah’s grandmother's husband. Oliver said, “The guy is a real piece of shit.”